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Welcome to our journey. The purpose of my blog is not only to journal our life experience, but also to share what God is doing in our lives. I do not claim to be an expert in parenting, marriage, or even the Bible. But I do have a heart to share my experiences and the true love that God has for each and every one of us. You can read our testimony by clicking on the top of the page. And if you'd like to know about the Homeless Ministry my husband started, you can click on the Homeless tab. I hope you will comment freely on my posts and in my community.

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Saying Good-bye is never easy

This is Sadie. Our beautiful 11 1/2 year old Golden Retriever!

2/14/98 - 7/25/09

A few pictures from the past 3 months...

Wise

Loved swimming in the lake.

Always there to greet us with her wagging tail!

Always wanting to be a part of the party...

And never far from her kids.

Watchful and protective

Loved to hang out by the firepit with us.

Always had to be in the lead when we went on walks

Sadie loved to go on walks.

And sit back and relax One thing she hated...wearing this cone!

Last weekend we said good-bye to a member of our family. We had to say good-bye to Sadie, our 11 1/2 year old golden retriever. It's hard enough to make the decision to put your dog down, but telling our children was the worst of it. We had been on vacation for 7 days. Mid-way through our vacation my mom called to tell me that Sadie was not doing well. She was lethargic and just not acting like herself. When we arrived home, Dave went to go pick her up at my parents house. When they got home I couldn't believe how terrible Sadie looked. She had a huge sack of fluid hanging from her neck and her front legs and paws were all swelled up. Her breathing was also labored. I tried to call her and she wouldn't come to me. Then Dave tried to give her a treat and she just layed there. We both knew this wasn't a good thing. So, we brought her to the vet hospital. Sadie's x-rays showed her lungs were floating in fluid with just a tiny space for her to breath. She also had a lymphnode the size of a tangerine. Without taking more tests the vet knew that she probably had cancer and was in congestive heart failure. Since she was so old there was really nothing they could do. We made the decision to put her to sleep.

Dave went to get our 3 youngest kids and I tried to call Amanda. Sitting there telling them what we had to do was harden than I ever imagined! Mackenzie knew right away what we were saying. Mitchell finally said, "You mean she's going to die?" Up until that question, Hailey just stood there looking at me with a blank look on her face. But after I said "yes, honey, she's going to die", we all cried and cried. It all seems like a bad dream after that. Trying to explain to your children why this is the best thing to do. Uhg! I hate this part of having pets.

We took Sadie to a nice spot outside and just loved on her for over an hour.

Lots of hugs and kisses...

Sadie, you will forever be in our hearts. We know that you are running free and no longer in pain. Although the tears still flow freely, we are happy for you. Thank you for being such a loyal friend and protector of us. Thank you for loving our children and always watching over them. You were the best dog ever and will be greatly missed!

About Me

I am a wife and mother of 4 children, and 2 grandchildren. I have been married for 20 years. I love spending time with my husband, our children and friends. I work at a church and I love it. I have been there for 11 1/2 years. My husband started Breakthrough Ministries. It's aimed at helping the hungry and homeless. We will meet them where they're at and then help them first by showing them God's love, then getting them any physical or mental help they need, and then coaching them along in all areas of their life so they can integrate back into society and live a fulfilled life!